Apparatus and method for filament feed control



Oct. 8, 1963 H. L; KITSELMAN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILAMENT FEEDCONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1961 4 INVENTOR. i: JCIRRY A.K/TSELMAN,

BY 6% "M ATTOBNEKS.

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILAMENT FEED CONTROL Filed April 14. 1961 Oct.8, 1963 H. L. KITSELMAN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllll' [lllllllll IN VEN TOR.JIM/av L, KITSELMA N,

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United States Patent 3,106,354 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILAMENT FEEDCONTROL Harry L. Kitsellnan, Muncie, Ind, assignor to Indiana Steel 8:Wire Company, Inc., Muncie, Ind., 21 corporation of Indiana Filed Apr.14, 1961, Ser. No. 103,128 15 Claims. ((31. 242--47.08)

This invention rel-ates to a device for feeding or regulating thefeed-rate of \wire or like filamentary material in operations whereaccurate control of the feed-rate is desired. For convenience, theinvention will be described as employed in controlling the feedingmovement of wire, which may be either bare or coated or plasticsheathed; but it is to be understood that the invent-ion is equallyapplicable to means handling threads, strands, monofilaments ofsynthetic plastics, and the like.

Many manufacturing operations involve the feeding of wire or otherfilamentary material from or into packages or through manufacturing ortreating operations, such, for example in the case of wire, as drawingdies or enameling frames. Usually, the rate of feed of the wire isregulated by passing it around or partially around a measuring elementrotated at a controlled speed. In some instances, the measuring elementsis stationary and the material is fed into and out of association withit by idlers which orbit around the measuring element at a controlledrate.

is essential that there be no slippage of the material on the surface ofthe measuring element- Many expedients, such as rubber wheels, flexiblebelts, or magnetic devices forcing the fed material against themeasuring element, have been proposed to insure against undesirableslippage,

but few if any of them have proven entirelysatisfact-ory and, capable offulfilling their intended purpose, especially when the wire being fed issubject to variations in tension. Moreover, most prior devices of whichI am aware require that a certain minimum tension be maintained in thematerial entering the device and some also require maintenance of aminimum tension in the material leaving the device.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a device whichwill feed, or regulate the feeding of, wire or other filamentarymaterial at an accurately controllable rate and which will do so withoutdamaging the material being fed. A further object is to produce pparatuswhich, where used as a pay-out device, will not require tension in theentering material and which, when used as a take-up device, will notrequire tension in the exiting material.

In carrying out the invention, 1 provide the measuring element with anannular groove deep enough to receive two superposed stretches of thematerial being fed and so shaped as to confine those two stretches toradially superposed relationship. Spaced fromthe measuring elementand-approximately in the plane of the groove, I provide an idler. Thewire or other material being fed is trained around the grooved measuringelement and the idler in such a way that, for a portion of thecircumference of the measuring element, two stretches of the materialoccupy the vgr-o'ove in superposed relation, the outer stretch being.subjected to an externally imposed tensionwhereby it will exert on theinner stretchan inwardly directed effort clamping the inner stretchagainst the surface of the groove. Preferably, the groove has inwardlyconverging sides between which the inner stretch is wedged by the effortexerted by the outer stretch. The device may be used either as a take-updevice to draw the fed material through equipment which imposes a dragon it or as a pay- Where accurate control of the feed-rate is required,it

3,105,354 Patented Oct. 8, 1953 out device to retard the rate at whichthe material is fed to a take-up mechanism which imposes tension on it.The provision of the idler trees a portion of the circumference of thegroove from the presence of the fed material and thus makes it possiblefor the inner stretch of the material to enter or leave the groove.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several differentembodiments of the invention:

FIG. lis an elevational view of a take-up device employing a rotatingmeasuring element to draw a Wire from a source which imposes on the wirea substantial drag to create tension in the wire entering intoassociation with the device;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a fragmental section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 3-3 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a pay-out deviceregulating the rate at which wire is released to a tension-applyingtake-up mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, in partial section, of a takeup deviceemploying a stationary measuring element; and

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

The take-up device of FIG. 1 is shown therein as used to pull wirethrough apparatus, indicated diagrammatically at 8, which imposes a moreor less substantial drag on the wire. The device comprises a frame 9 anda rotating measuring element, designated in its entirety by thereference numeral 10, fixedly mounted on a shaft 11 rotatably supportedfrom the frame 9 and adapted to be driven at a regulated rate by anyappropriate form of driving means, here shown as a worm wheel 13 keyedto the shaft :11 and engaged by a worm 14 driven by a motor 7. Alsosupported from the frame 9 is a rotatable idler 12 disposed in spacedand substantially coplanar relation to the rotating measuring element10, which will hereafter be referred to as a capstan in accordance withterminology used in the wire-drawing art. Both the capstan 10 and theidler 12 have peripheral grooves which receive the wire in a manner tobe described below.

Desirably, the capstan 10 is formed of two juxtaposed, coaxial disks 15and 16 between which the capstan-groove is provided. As will be clearfrom FIG. 3, the disk 15 desirably has a plane face abutting the disk16, while the periphery of the disk 16 is chamfered as indicated at 17to provide, in cooperation with the opposed face of the disk 15, agroove 18 the side Walls of which converge inwardly of the capstan at arelatively gradual rate. The

and on to the idler 12, and the latter leaving the idler and passingpart way around the capstan before leaving the device. As best shown inFIG. 2, the two stretches 20 and 21 have portions which arecircumferentially coextensive within the groove 18. In that segment ofthe groove which receives such coextensive wire-portions, the enteringstretch 20 lies outside the stretch 21, with the result that tension inthe entering Wire will cause the stretch 21 to be forced radiallyinwardly and wedged tightly between the inwardly converging side.

walls of the groove 18. The greater the resistance to feeding movementof the wire, the greater will be the tension in the entering stretch 2dand the greater also will be the inward effort exerted on the stretch 21and the pressure exerted on the stretch 21 by the sides of the groove18. The angle between the walls of the groove 18 will determine therelation between tension in the stretch 2i and the force with which thestretch 21 is gripped. In a device for feeding hard-drawn steel wire, Iprefer to have the side walls of the groove converge inwardly at anincluded angle of about 15 to 20. Such a convergence will produce agripping action sufficient to cause breaking of the fed wire if itsmovement is positively interrupted. At the same time, the wire of thestretch 21 can readily free itself from the groove when relieved of thepressure from the stretch it Such relief occurs at the point where thestretch 29 leaves the groove 18 to pass on to the idler 12.

FiG. 4 illustrates the device of FIGS. l-3 used to control the rate atwhich a wire is payed out, as through a treating apparatus indicateddiagrammatically at 23 and onward therefrom to a driven take-up reel 24.Here it is the entering stretch 29 that lies adjacent the bottom of thegroove in the capstan 10. The departing stretch 21 overlies the stretch20, and the tension engendered in the stretch 21 by operation of thetake-up reel 24 causes the stretch 20 to be wedged between theconverging walls of the capstan-groove. The greater the tension in thestretch 21, the more firmly will the stretch 20 be gripped in thecapstan with the result that the rate of Wire delivery will depend onthe rotational speed of the capstan, which can be controlled in anyconvenient manner as by the worm and motor means shown in FIG. 1.

It will be noted that in both uses shown in FIGS. 1-4 the wire-stretchsubject to exteriorly impressed tension overlies the other in the groove18 and, by virtue of the tension existing on it, firmly wedges suchother stretch between the inwardly converging groove walls. As a result,positive, non-slipping engagement of the inner wire-stretch with thecapstan will exist irrespective of whether or not that inner stretchcarries any tension. Therefore, when the device is used as a take-updevice with exteriorly imposed tension in the entering wirestretch, itcan deliver the wire in a completely tensionfree condition. Similarly,when the device is used as a pay-out device with tension exteriorlyimposed on the departing stretch, the entering wire-stretch can becompletely free of tension.

The apparatus shown in FIGS. and 6 is one which might be used to draw awire through processing or treating equipment of any kind and form thewire into coils for packaging or other purposes. It comprises a stationary capstan 25 formed, like the capstan 10, with a circumferentialgroove 26 having inwardly converging side walls. The capstan 25,however, differs from the capstan in that it is stationary, as by beingrigidly connected to a supporting frame 27. Also supported from theframe 27 is a hollow shaft 28 rotatable about the axis of the capstanand arranged to be driven in any convenient manner at a controlledspeed. As shown, the shaft 28 is driven by means including gearing 2930.Secured to the lower end of the shaft 28, as through the medium of ayoke 31, is an arm 32 which is located below the capstan 25 and extendsdiametrically across the capstan and beyond the periphery thereof.Rotatably mounted on the ends of the arm 32 are two idlers 33 and 34,each having a peripheral wire-receiving groove.

The entering stretch 35 of wire is guided into the shaft 28 over anidler 36 rotatably supported from the frame 27 in any convenient manner.Proceeding downwardly through the shaft, the wire stretch 35 passesaround a guide idler 37 mounted on the arm 32 and thence around theidler 33. Leaving the idler 33, the wire enters the capstan-groove 25,lies therein for a portion of the capstan circumference, and passes tothe idler 34. The wire leaves the idler 34 as the departing stretch 33,which recnters the capstan-groove on the opposite side of the capstanfrom the stretch 35 and passes around the capstan and beneath thestretch 35 to the point where the latter stretch leaves the capstan onits way to the idler 34.

In the use of the device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the shaft 23 and arm 32are rotated in the clockwise direction (FIG. 6), with the result thatthe orbiting idler 33 draws wire through the hollow shaft and wraps itabout the capstan. At the same time, the orbiting idler 34 progressivelyseparates the two wire-stretches to free the depanting stretch 38 fromthe inward effort exerted on it by the stretch 35, and the departingstretch falls from the groove, preferably in advance of the adjacent endof the arm 32 so that such arm Will exert a stripping action.

For clarity of illustration, the wire is shown in the drawings ashaving, relative to the capstan diameter, a larger size than it wouldusually have in practice, at least when the wire is bare and relativelystiff.

The shape of the capstan-groove in axial section may depend on thenature of the material being fed. As will be obvious, the ratio of thegripping effort exerted by inwardly converging groove walls to theinward pressure exerted by the outer stretch of the material willincrease as the opposite groove walls approach parallelism. It ispossible to make the angle between wire-gripping groove walls so smallthat the inner wire stretch would not free itself from gripped conditionwhen relieved of pressure from the outer stretch; but in most cases,especially where the device is a take-up device intended to deliver .thewire in a substantially tension-free condition, such an arrangement isundesirable as it could necessitate the use of stripping means forpositively freeing the wire from gripped condition. The greater thecoefficient of friction between the fed material and the groove surface,the less need be the gripping effort. With some materials, the opposedside walls of the groove may be parallel and the gripping effort onlythat which would result from the action of the outer stretch in forcingthe inner stretch against the bottom of the groove or into the anglebetween a cylindrical groove-bottom and a plane side wall. In such acase, it would be necessary, of course, that the groove be narrow enoughto maintain the required degree of radial superposition of the twostretches.

Increased traction, or more effective non-slipping connection betweenthe inner stretch and the capstan can be obtained, without decreasingthe angle between the groove walls, by arranging the idler or idlers toincrease the length of the are within which the two wire-stretches arein contact with each other.

Providing an inwardly narrowing capstan groove between two juxtaposeddisk-like elements, as shown in FIG. 3, has an advantage in correctingfor the effects of wear which would reduce the diameter of the innerwire stretch. By removing material from the groove walls and also fromthat face of the chamfered element 16 which engages the element 15, theeffects of wear can be removed from the groove walls and the groovemaintained at its proper effective diameter.

As will be obvious, since the interengaging stretches of the wire arecurved respectively on radii which differ by the diameter of the wire,the outer stretch will slip on the inner stretch and relatively to thecapstan in operation of the device. In practice, such slipping has beenfound to be of no significant consequence either as to magnitude or asto effect on the fed material.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for controlling the feed rate of a continuous filamentpulled under tension between said apparatus and another device,comprising a capstan having a peripheral groove defined by opposed facesand formed to receive two stretches of the filament and to maintain themin radially superposed relation as inner and outer stretches in thegroove, idler means mounted in spaced relation with the capstan andpositioned to receive a filament from the groove, support the same outof the groove for an arc thereof, and return said filament back to saidgroove, guide means including said capstan and idler means :defining apath for the filament in which the filament extends from the externaldevice into engagement with the groove and therealong as an outerstretch in the groove over a predetermined arc, thence outward from thegroove and over the idler means free of the capstan along an adjacentarc thereof, to clear of filament a portion of the groove for emergenceof the filament from the inner stretch, thence, from the idler meansback into the groove beneath the outer stretch and along the groove asan inner stretch beneath the said outer stretch to said filament-clearportion of the groove, and l thence out of the proove at suchfilament-clear portion to an external point, 7

the capstan, on the one hand, and the idler means and angular positionsof the entering and exiting filament paths, on the other hand, beingrelatively rotatable about the axis of the capstan to feed the filamentin a predetermined direction along said path, means to control the rateof said relative rotation to maintain tension in said outer stretch of afilament strung along said path, whereby to cause such outer stretch toforce the inner stretch of such filament inwardly into firm nonslippingengagement with the surface of the capstan groove. 2. Apparatus asdefined in claim 1 with the addition of an idler support rotatable aboutthe capstan axis and carrying the idler means, and filament feedingmeans rotatable therewith, and in which said means to control the rateof relative rotation comprises means for driving said support to revolvesaid idler and feeding means about the capstan to pull filament to theapparatus and feed the same; along said path.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the relative rotation is ina direction to pay out the filament under tension to means whichproduces pull thereon and said means to control the rate of relativerotation comprises retarding means.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said capstan groove isdefined by opposed faces which converge inwardly in position to receivethe inner stretch of filament in releasable wedging engagement.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said capstancomprises two coaxial, juxtaposed disk- 6 path, and thereby to cause theouter stretch of such filament to force the inner stretch thereof intonon-slipping engagement with the groove.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, with the addition that said groovehas inwardly converging side walls between which the innerfilament-stretch is wedged as a result of the force exerted on it by theouter stretch.

8. A take-up device for pulling a continuous flexible filament throughmeans which imposes a drag upon it, comprising a capstan having aperipheral groove adapted to receive two stretches of the filament andmaintain them in radially superposed relation, an idler supportrotatable about the capstan-axis, an idler carried by said idler supportin spaced relation to the capstan and substantially coplanar with saidgroove, feeding means rotatable with the idler support for feeding tothe capstan a filament extending from the drag-imposing means, meansincluding said capstan, idler, and feeding means defining a path for thefilament'in which the filament from the feeding means enters the capstangroove and passes part way around the capstan as an outer stretch in thegroove, leaves the groove and passes 'over the idler, thereby clearing aportion ofthe groove for emergence of the exiting filament, reenters thegroove ahead of the outer stretch and extends along the groove as aninner stretch beneath the outer stretch to the point at which the outerstretch leaves the groove, and then exits from the groove between suchpoint and the said reentry point, means for rotating the idler supportand feeding like elements, one of which ischamfered at its periphery toprovide one of said groove walls, and releasable means for maintainingsaid elements in juxtaposed relation.

6. A take-up device for pulling a continuous flexible filament throughmeans which imposes a drag upon it, comprising a rotatable capstanhaving a peripheral groove adapted to receive two stretches of thefilament and maintain them in radially superposed relation, an idlerdisposed in spaced relation to the capstan and substantially coplanarwith said groove, means including said capstan and idler defining a pathfor the filament in which a filament extending from the drag-imposingmeans enters the said groove and passes part way around the capstan asan outer stretch in the groove, then leaves the groove and passes overthe idler to clear a portion of the groove for emergence of the exitingfilament, reenters the groove ahead of the outer stretch and extendsalong the groove as an inner stretch beneath the outer stretch to thepoint at which the outer stretch leaves the groove, and then exits fromthe groove between such point and said reentry point, means for rotatingthe capstan at a controlled rate to pull under tension from thedrag-imposing means a filament extending therefrom and trained alongsaid means at a controlled rate to feed under tension to the capstan afilament trained along said path, and thereby to cause the outer stretchof such filament to force the inner stretch thereof into non-slippingengagement with the groove.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, with the addition that said groovehas inwardly converging side walls between which the innerfilament-stretch is wedged as a result of the force exerted on it by theouter stretch.

10. A pay-out device for regulating the rate at which acontinuousflexible filament is released to a feeding means which imposes tensionupon it, comprising a rdtatable capstan having a peripheral grooveadapted to receive two stretches of the filament and maintain them insuperposed relation, an idler disposed in spaced relation to saidcapstan and substantially coplanar with said groove, means includingsaid capstan and idler defining a path for the filament in which thefilament enters said groove as an inner stretch in the region betweenthe capstan and idler, passes part way around the capstan and idler, andreenters the groove and extends along an arc thereof as an outer stretchsuperposed over the inner stretch, and then leaves the groove andproceeds to the feeding means, and means for regulating the rate atwhich the capstan rotates, to maintain tension in the outer stretch of afilament trained along said path, whereby said outer stretch forces theinner stretch into non-slipping engagement with the groove surface.

11. Apparatus for controlling the feed rate of a continuous filament,comprising a capstan having a peripheral groove to receive two stretchesof the same filament and to maintain them in radially superposedrelation wherein tension in the outer stretch will force the innerstretchinto releasable wedging engagement with walls of the groove,

and means to guide spaced portions of the same filament into said grooveand to support an'intermediate portion out of the groove to clear aportion thereof for emergence of the filament from the inner stretch,

said capstan comprising two disc-like elements and means to rele'asablymaintain the same in coaxial juxtaposed relation, 7

one of said discs being chamfered at its periphery to form agroove-defining face thereon in opposed inwardly-converging relationwith an opposite face on the other disc.

7 12. The method of advancing a continuous filament in firm,non-slipping engagement with a feed-control capstan, which comprisestraining two spaced stretches of the filament in the same directionalong the same arcuate portion of a 5 groove extending about thecapstan,

laterally confining the two stretches to position and maintain the sameas superposed inner and outer stretches of filament along said arcuateportion,

supporting an intermediate portion of the filament out 10 of the grooveto open an arcuate portion of the groove and extending the filamentbetween said inner stretch and an external point through such openarcuate portion,

subjecting the outer stretch of filament to tension to 15 cause the sameto exert an inward force on the inner stretch to press the same intopositive gripping engagement with the capstan,

and controllingly advancing the groove relative to the positions atwhich the filament enters and leaves the groove, and thereby advancingthe filament in gripped engagement with the capstan.

13. The method defined in claim 12 in which said advancing is obtainedby revolving the filament-entering and -leaving positions about the axisof the capstan.

14. The method defined in claim 12 in which said advancing is obtainedby rotating the capstan on its axis.

15. The method defined in claim 12 with the addition of supporting thefilament stretches in the groove, and maintaining them in superposedrelation, by opposed inwardly-converging faces between which the innerstretch is releasably wedged under the pressure imposed thereon by thetensioned outer stretch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSMartinez Apr. 10, 1962

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE FEED RATE OF A CONTINUOUS FILAMENTPULLED UNDER TENSION BETWEEN SAID APPARATUS AND ANOTHER DEVICE,COMPRISING A CAPSTAN HAVING A PERIPHERAL GROOVE DEFINED BY OPPOSED FACESAND FORMED TO RECEIVE TWO STRETCHES OF THE FILAMENT AND TO MAINTAIN THEMIN RADIALLY SUPERPOSED RELATION AS INNER AND OUTER STRETCHES IN THEGROOVE, IDLER MEANS MOUNTED SPACED RELATION WITH THE CAPSTAN ANDPOSITIONED TO RECEIVE A FILAMENT FROM THE GROOVE, SUPPORT THE SAME OUTOF THE GROOVE FOR AN ARC THEREOF, AND RETURN SAID FILAMENT BACK TO SAIDGROOVE, GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING SAID CAPSTAN AND IDLER MEANS DEFINING APATH FOR THE FILAMENT IN WHICH THE FILAMENT EXTENDS FROM THE EXTERNALDEVICE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GROOVE AND THEREALONG AS AN OUTERSTRETCH IN THE GROOVE OVER A PREDETERMINED ARC, THENCE OUTWARD FROM THEGROOVE AND OVER THE IDLER MEANS FREE OF THE CAPSTAN ALONG AN ADJACENTARC THEREOF, TO CLEAR OF FILAMENT A PORTION OF THE GROOVE FOR EMERGENCEOF THE FILAMENT FROM THE INNER STRETCH, THENCE, FROM THE IDLER MEANSBACK INTO THE GROOVE BENEATH THE OUTER STRETCH AND ALONG THE GROOVE ASAN INNER STRETCH BENEATH THE SAID OUTER STRETCH TO SAID FILAMENT-CLEARPORTION OF THE GROOVE, AND THENCE OUT OF THE PROOVE AT SUCHFILAMENT-CLEAR PORTION TO AN EXTERNAL POINT, THE CAPSTAN, ON THE ONEHAND, AND THE IDLER MEANS AND ANGULAR POSITIONS OF THE ENTERING ANDEXITING FILAMENT PATHS, ON THE OTHER HAND, BEING RELATIVELY ROTATABLEABOUT THE AXIS OF THE CAPSTAN TO FEED THE FILAMENT IN A PREDETERMINEDDIREDCTION ALONG SAID PATH, MEANS TO CONTROL THE RATE OF SAID RELATIVEROTATION TO MAINTAIN TENSION IN SAID OUTER STRETCH OF A FILAMENT STRUNGALONG SAID PATH, WHEREBY TO CAUSE SUCH OUTER STRETCH TO FORCE THE INNERSTRETCH OF SUCH FILAMENT INWARDLY INTO FIRM NONSLIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITHTHE SURFACE OF THE CAPSTAN GROOVE.